Thomas Vanek went into scramble mode the moment he was traded by Vancouver to Columbus at the NHL trade deadline in late February, notifying his family, buying an airline ticket, gathering his things, etc.

But when he took a moment to consider his destination — the Blue Jackets — he could only laugh. Hockey, like life, seems to come full circle.

“Fifteen years ago, I thought I was going to be here,” Vanek said, smiling. “It just took me a little longer.”

Vanek, then a 19-year-old prospect, went to sleep in a Nashville hotel room on June 20, 2003, fully expecting to be drafted by the Blue Jackets in the first round of the NHL entry draft the next day.